When Manoj Kumar stepped in to save 'Lag Ja Gale' from rejection
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India Today
11-07-2025
- India Today
Raj Khosla's new biography
When author Amborish Roychoudhury started writing Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography, he discovered that people around him didn't know much about Khosla's contributions to Hindi cinema. Only when he posted some iconic songs from his films like C.I.D. (1956), Woh Kaun Thi (1964) and Dostana (1980) did they recognise his works. This is why this book, co-written by Khosla's daughters, Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur, is important.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Filmmaker Raj Khosla at 100: A tale of Dutt, dacoits and a double life
He had the best possible start as an aspiring filmmaker, working as assistant to the great Guru Dutt. He went on to become one of Bollywood's most versatile directors. In a 35-year career (1954-89), he directed 26 films, adroitly shifting between Bombay noir crime thrillers and spooky tales of mystery, love stories, family socials and dacoit dramas. Raj Khosla grew up in Bombay, hero-worshipping the singer KL Saigal, who coincidentally lived close to the Khoslas' home in Matunga. Khosla, in fact, dreamed of being a playback singer. But, given the opportunity to sing a few songs in films such as Bhool Bhulaiyan (1949) and Aankhen (1950), he soon realised he could never stand out in a field dominated by the likes of Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh. So, when Dev Anand — who describes Khosla in his autobiography as 'my coffee-house friend from the days I was working at the military censor office' — recommended him to Dutt instead, Khosla accepted the offer. Dutt, who was working on his directorial debut, Baazi (1951), took him on as one of his two assistant directors. Khosla assisted on his next three films too. In-between, he made his own directorial debut, with Milap (1955). The Dev Anand-Geeta Bali starrer, a tale of a poor country youth who comes into a big inheritance and falls prey to swindlers, flopped at the box office. A still from Mera Gaon Mera Desh, a 1971 precursor to Sholay (1975), about a small-time thief and jailbird who must protect a village from a merciless daku. Fortunately, Dutt stepped in and offered him the chance to direct his next production, the noir thriller CID (1956). CID was a huge hit. Dutt would remain an important figure in Khosla's life and much of his work reveals influences of his guru's cinematic style. These influences are particularly clear in the way he used songs. They weren't just embellishments but carried the story forward. And they were exquisite, truly deserving of the term 'evergreen'. It was Khosla's films from the '50s and '60s that gave us Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan (CID; OP Nayyar), Naina Barse Rim Jhim and Lag Ja Gale (Woh Kaun Thi; Madan Mohan), Mera Saaya and Jhumka Gira Re (Mera Saaya; Madan Mohan). Many of Khosla's films are remembered fondly even today: Do Raaste (1969; starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz); Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971, starring Dharmendra); Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978; starring Asha Parekh and Nutan); Dostana (1980, starring Amitabh Bachchan). Yet, oddly, the man himself has faded from public memory. In his centenary year — he was born in the same year as Guru Dutt — a new biography by Amborish Roychoudhury seeks to right this strange imbalance. Jabbar Singh! Two genres stand out in Khosla's filmography: suspense and the dacoit drama. In the former, the first two films of his famous trilogy — Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967) – were almost Hitchcockian. The suspense is real, the plots taut. Both films keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. (The third was weak and faltered on plot and pace). Among the dacoit dramas, Mera Gaon… foreshadows the blockbuster Sholay (1975): A small-time thief and jailbird Ajit (Dharmendra) must protect a village from the depredations of a merciless daku (who is called Jabbar Singh!). Khosla saw hits and success in his peak years. Behind the scenes, however, a complex personal life was taking its toll. Khosla had fallen in love outside his marriage. Amid the turmoil, he sank into alcoholism. 'Going by several accounts, he was mentally disturbed... The double life he was leading sat heavily on his lean shoulders,' Roychoudhury writes in his biography. Khosla's later films, meanwhile, were neither commercially successful nor did they do justice to his talent. Soon, work started drying up. His time was over. He died in 1991, aged 66, forgotten by the industry. Until the end, he kept a giant photograph of Guru Dutt in his office, Roychoudhury writes. 'In the autumn of his life, it was not uncommon for journalists or assistants to walk in on him weeping in front of the portrait.' Perhaps he was remembering his guru, perhaps he was remembering happier times, or perhaps it was a bit of both. (Poonam Saxena is a writer and translator whose works include Dharmvir Bharati's iconic Gunahon ka Devta, Rahi Masoom Raza's Scene: 75 and Aleph's Greatest Hindi Stories Ever Told)
Mint
01-06-2025
- Mint
Raj Khosla@100: Asha Parekh remembers director who helped her break glam girl image with Do Badan
Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) Veteran actor Asha Parekh has credited the late writer-filmmaker Raj Khosla with recognising her potential beyond the "glam girl" image by offering her "Do Badan", a film that changed the trajectory of her career. At a retrospective event to mark Khosla's 100th birth anniversary on Saturday evening, Parekh said the filmmaker's decision to cast her in the 1966 drama came as a surprise to her as it went against the industry's perception of her. "Everyone in the industry thought I was just a glam girl, a dancing girl and that I am not a good actress. I do not know what Raj ji had in mind when he came to me and offered me 'Do Badan'. The critics wrote good things about me and my work in the film. It gave me confidence to do more such films," Parekh said at a panel discussion. "Do Badan" tells the story of two lovers -- Asha (Parekh), a wealthy young woman, and Vikas (Manoj Kumar), an orphan -- whose romance takes a tragic turn due to a series of unforeseen events. The film, which became a box-office hit on its release, also featured Simi Garewal and Pran in pivotal roles. The Dadasaheb Phalke award winner revealed that initially, her contemporary, Rakhee, was supposed to star in the film. "I remember, Raj ji called me and said, 'I want to talk to you'. I said, 'okay'. He came home and narrated the story. After the narration, I told him to promise me to make the film as it is. It was a beautifully-written film. It was poetic. I remember, women would cry watching the film," Parekh said. The actor also shared that she had suggested a different climax to Khosla for "Do Badan", one where only her character would die. However, after further discussions, Kumar convinced the director to go with a more tragic ending in which both lovers meet their fate. "He would say what he wanted but leave the artists to emote the way they want," Parekh said about their collaborative process. After "Do Badan", the two also collaborated in "Chirag" (1969), "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" (1971) and "Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki" (1978). Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was also part of the panel discussion along with Amborish Roychoudhury, the author of "Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography", and Khosla's daughter, Anita. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), moderated the panel discussion. Khosla gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable songs like "Lag Jaa Gale", "Mera Saaya", "Jhumka Gira Re", "Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana", "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan", "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par", "Hai Apna Dil To Awara" and many more. Parekh said she loved the way Khosla shot the song sequences in his movies. "When you work in four films, the whole unit becomes like a family.... Raj ji came from the Guru Dutt school, there was a little bit of Guru Dutt ji that he had while doing (songs)," she said. The daylong retrospective, titled "Raj Khosla 100 -- Bambai Ka Babu", was curated by the FHF at the Regal Cinema in south Mumbai. As part of the celebrations, three of Khosla's acclaimed films -- "CID" (1956), "Bambai Ka Babu" (1960) and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" -- were screened. The first two films have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Parekh said re-watching "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" brought back fresh memories. "It did bring back fresh memories. I had the most fun working with him. I wish I could see the entire film, but I had to leave," the veteran actor told PTI. "It was a film that was different from the films I was doing. It had beautiful songs. Laxmi Chayya had a better role than I, but despite that, I stood my ground," she added. Earlier in the day, actor Raima Sen introduced "Bambai Ka Babu", which featured her late grandmother, Suchitra Sen, opposite Dev Anand. Sen said she is glad that these classic films are being reintroduced and thanked the FHF for taking the initiative to commemorate Khosla's work. "I am excited to introduce this film, which is my favourite film. For her (Suchitra Sen), to take up this subject was a very bold move because it was not conventional and she was a star. "So to do an unusual film story of a brother and a sister, who till the end do not know that they are brother and sister, and the romance between the two, I think the film was way ahead of its time," Sen said.
